


Temporary struggle

by Griffinous56



Series: HK ABOverse that no one asked for [3]
Category: Hollow Knight (Video Game)
Genre: Crack, Fluff, I don’t know how to write humor and comedy don’t judge me—, I have No Excuse, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Other, Post-Game(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2019-04-21
Packaged: 2020-01-23 11:34:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18548935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Griffinous56/pseuds/Griffinous56
Summary: Hollow’s discovery of Grimm’s tail and the problems that follow.Or in which Troupe’s members don’t know what is Grimm, Divine part time job is relationship advisor and Grimm’s small discovery on how his predecessors thought that it would be a good idea to write a book for themselves.





	Temporary struggle

**Author's Note:**

> At first it was intended to be another PWP, 500 words later and the situation is no longer under control.

When Hollow wakes up, it is to soft turning of pages of the book Grimm is currently reading. They’re laying on their back, still cloaked in thick blanket, contents under thick burrow on their bed, for awhile don’t want to do anything aside from watching Grimm sitting on the edge of their bed through their sleepy eyes. He always accompanied their left side, Hollow realizes, always be sure to stay on the side where they’re comfortable with. It is sweet and slightly intimate somehow.

 

Turning to lay on their side, they can feel how their hips twitch, feeling so sore from last night activities. Grimm hasn’t been exactly gentle last night, all rough and grabbing and biting and it’s not like they’re not guilty for welcomed and encouraged him, but then again it must be because of the choker which is still on their neck, its threads slight tore by Grimm’s fangs.

 

Maybe they should get a new one, Hollow muses. Grimm would gladly do that.

 

Drowsily, Hollow reaches their hand out, means to touch and feel Grimm’s plates on his backside. Then their eyes catch something long and black. Grimm still has his tail, or at least that’s how he calls it. Curiously, they cup the tip of it and rub. Their claws catch on tiny black scales.

 

Grimm squeaks a sound like “NYEHH” before turning back to look at them, scarlet eyes half heartedly glares. They return the stare with feign innocent, hand now flips to run over the smooth scally underside.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

Hollow uses their thumb to absentmindedly write something down on the black scales, claw briefly catches into the space between them. Grimm frowns. It not like he isn’t call “cute” before, especially during his time as a Grimmchild and when he still has his tail before several molts. But to hear his mate saying that to him… it’s still a little weird.

 

Shrugs, Grimm turns back to his book. If his mate like that physical feature about him, then what say does he has in the matter. He’s quite fond of the attention anyway.

 

Hollow soon finds themself become awfully aware of their mate tail. They will watch it when they can, looking closely as how it twitches and wages. They notice how it slightly lifts up when Grimm is talking to someone of drops down when he feels awkward about something. The tail is also incredibly flexible and mobile, they notice when one day Hollow see how it can lift a book.

 

A day after their little confession on the bed, Hollow asks Divine for insights.

 

“Oh, you wonder about Master’s tail?” She giggles. “Don’t worry you beautiful head over it too much. Usually when he reincarnated, the tail remains until one or two molts. After that, he’ll be back to his old physical form.”

 

Then with a mischievous tone, she leans closer to speak. “You do know that his tail’s upper side is covered in a thick coat of hair, right? I’ve heard that it really is smooth and fluffy to touch,” the Divine smirks, murmuring suggestively. “It’s also rumor that he’s quite sensitive at the base~”

 

Hollow flushes bright red at that.

 

* * *

 

The more they spend their time with the Troupe Master, the more they find themself at lost when it comes to their mate true nature. Hollow already know that Grimm isn’t exactly a bug like how many other assumed him to be, but something more. They can't quite put their finger on it, although among the Grimmkin’s gossips they’ve learned that Grimm is somewhat alike to an arachnid, some argue that he has behaviors of a bat - not that Hollow knows what a bat is - because how else can he have a tail?

 

They smartly decide to given up their small part-time research. So instead, Hollow enjoy caressing Grimm’s tail as long as they can.

 

Not that Grimm is too happy about this.

 

“...Master?” Says a novice Grimmkin one day, shifting nervously in the air with the bedsheet and curtains they have just replaced.

 

“What is it?” Grumpily, Grimm says back, completely, or to be exact, tries his best to ignore a sleeping black figure behind him, happily hugging his tail in their sleep. The tail give a small twitch when Hollow nuzzles into the hairy side, much to his delights. Stills, it does nothing to help his ego. Him, Troupe Master Grimm, mate of the Hollow Knight, is sitting on his side of their shared bed and can’t do nothing to make his mate hugging him instead of his tail like a pillow. They have him, of perfect size and body heat quality to a good old five stars body pillow, and Hollow just settles for his tail instead. And he can’t even get mad about it because they seem happy and contented enough with it.

 

Grimm can’t tell if his ego is shattered or not anymore.

 

“...Are you…”

 

“Am I what?”

 

More hesitantly. “Are you… jealous of your own tail?”

 

A long tense silence follows and the poor Grimmkin can feels his body breaking out in cold sweats.

 

* * *

 

“At this rate he’s going to explode,” Divine un-ceremony declares one day, when the troupe’s members are having lunch.

 

“You tell me,” says back a beetle with a grotesque cracked mask. He scoops a spoonful of soup before continue. “As an alpha myself, I do understand that feeling when you omega give more attention to someone or in this case, something more than you. Heck, usually the vessel would be reeked of Master’s scent but for the past few days though? It’s hella faint.”

 

“Say someone who has never be able to bed a beta, let alone an omega.”

 

Those within the hearing range busting out in laughter. That beetle flushes a bright red before swearing back at them with colorful words, which results in a smack on his head. Brumm who is sitting at the table across can only sighs, muttering how he doesn’t need to hear this.

 

* * *

 

“Master Grimm, may I have a minute?”

 

“What is it?”

 

“It’s about your mate sir.”

 

Grimm stops what he’s doing to finally look at one of his Troupe’s caretakers, a male mantis with short but deathly claws, concern edges at his face. But the mantis merely speak in an even tone that Grimm wouldn’t ever forget in thousands lifetime.

 

“It’s appear that you and your mate have problem concerning your… confusing body part, sir,” Grimm only responds with silence at this. “So, as this Troupe’s head caretaker, I shall offer you a solution that hopefully will solves your problem.”

 

What?

 

The mantis continues, completely ignore how weird this conversation has becomes. “It had worked several times in centuries for Masters before you and I hope it can be useful to you too.”

 

Wait, hold on, he has some weird and unnerving feeling about this. Excuses him for not understanding the situation at hand, while he does retains memories of his predecessors, he will automatically keeps important or special memories close, the rest is stored within several fragments inside the nightmare realm. And so, while Grimm does faintly recognizes what the old bug is talking about, he still can’t put his finger on it.

 

The experience is still bizarrely familiar to him though. It makes him wonder if in previous lives had he experience this or not.

 

At his silences, the mantis simply takes it as a yes. An outstretched book in leather cover is offered along with a deep bow before the bug dutifully returns to his job. The Troupe Master is left alone in the hallway, confused, a book on his arm full with sticky notes and a cover engraving with awfully familiar patterns.

 

Later that night, when Hollow is busy hugging his tail in their sleep, again, Grimm lit a candle and takes out that book, decided to at least jolts his memories of it.

 

Two hours later, Grimm calmly closes it and not-so-calmly puts it down on his laps with a thud, Hollow is still a heavy weight on his side, deep in their rare peaceful sleep. Raises a hand to rub between his eyes feeling so tired all of sudden, Grimm looks down at the book, unsure how to feel about it anymore. Silently, he sends a curse to his super super super grand predecessor and those decided to contribute to this book existences, judging by several differences handwriting he immediately recognizes as his in many lives before.

 

Did he just read a book of how to mate and court your mate in any situations possible, written by someone who he can calls his great grandfather. Memories rush back to him in waves and suddenly he remembers why he doesn’t want to remember this.

 

And the most ridiculous part is he actually read all of its contents in one go. He palms his face and not so softly, groans.

 

Hollow simply stirs at the sound before hugging his tail closer to their chest.

 

Three days later, Grimm returns the book to the mantis - his great predecessor butler, he helpfully reminds himself - and skillfully avoid the mantis facial reactions, an old skill he regains along with those… memories from that night. If the ancient bug notices how the book get slightly thicker and have more notes than before, he doesn’t say anything.

 

* * *

 

Thankfully, his next molt is approximately three months later after Hollow’s small discovery. He becomes bigger than his last life, being able to rest his head on Hollow’s shoulder without having to tippy toes. And the best thing of all, he lost his tail. Hollow’s whole love and attention is his again!

 

When Grimm is silently cheering himself on the inside, Hollow, who is laying on top of him after their night activities, giving him an expression of a sigh while idly massaging their mate side, hand unconsciously stroke down to his lower back where he once has a tail. They will miss it for sure.

 

Grimm notices this however and he pouts. “You really like my tail that much?”

 

Hollow lifts their head to look up and him and, after a short while, they nod. Grimm frowns this time. “Even than me?” It means to come out as a joke, but he still feels a little disappointed. Just a little…

 

They have a dignity to look shock at his statement. Hollow quickly shakes their head, pressing their snout against his neck and soak in Grimm’s heat and scent. They don’t mean to make it look it they flavor the tail over him, even though they do grow attached to it in time. But to like it over their mate? Impossible.

 

Grimm smiles at this. “Ah, but you do hurt me a bit over that. I think I need some sort of apology for it,” He says as his hands shifts from the post on Hollow’s neck down to their back, until it settle below their lower back, fingers slightly dip into the space between their legs and folds, coating a small trickle of white and still hot liquid out of their still loose entrance. Hollow trembles when Grimm’s fingers move farther in, his thumb now slowly rubbing a space upper their clit. When he turns a finger and crooks it, rubbing against their sweet spot, they harshly jolt, hips pushing back at the Troupe Master hand. Hollow looks at him almost accusingly. They still feel quite sore from earlier…

 

Chuckling, he leans up, face pressing against their neck to take in the new wave of fresh and sweet smell. “I take it as a yes,” Grimm says, voice lower to a growl. “We better to get it huh? I believe we have tons of catching up to do.”

 

Hollow doesn’t answer, grinding their hips down onto him instead.

 

* * *

 

So what is Grimm anyway? All of them have figured how he’s absolutely not a bug like the rest of them.

 

Dunno, they shrug. Maybe they will be able to figure it out in time. For now, let’s just enjoy what they have.

 

It’s just another unsolved mystery of the troupe anyway.

**Author's Note:**

> Let’s be honest, Grimm’s true nature will remains one of the biggest mystery in Hallownest because no one freaking know wtf he is.
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Brumm: Master why are you cryin—
> 
> Grimm: THEY DON’T EVEN HUG ME. I’M JUST RIGHT *THERE* THE WHOLE WEEK AND THEY PREFER MY TAIL OVER ME.
> 
> Divine: Why did you even ask?


End file.
